Special offer

Did you know why Phoenix & Scottsdale exist?

By
Real Estate Agent with HomeSmart Real Estate BR632450000

Did you know that Scottsdale, Glendale, Arcadia in Phoenix, Peoria owe their existence to the 47 miles of the Arizona Canal first completed in 1885 and then extended another five miles in 1894? You may have thought it was due to the invention of air conditioning. It is water my friends.


Downtown Phoenix had the Salt River which supplied water in those days before the dams. However, Scottsdale and the other cities owe their existence to the Arizona Canal.

Thank you to our fore fathers for taking action even before Arizona became a State.

Per Wikepedia, "The Arizona Canal is a major canal in centralMaricopa County that led to the founding of several communities, now among the wealthier neighborhoods of suburban Phoenix, in the late 1880s. Flood irrigation of residential yards is still common in these neighborhoods, using a system of lateral waterways connected via gates to the canal itself[1]. Like most Valley canals, its banks are popular with joggers and bicyclists.

The canal, nearly 50 miles (80 km) long, is the northernmost canal in the Salt River Project's 131-mile (211 km) water distribution system.[2] Beginning at Granite Reef dam, northeast of Mesa, it flows west across the Salt River Pima-Maricopa Indian Community, downtown Scottsdale, Phoenix's Arcadia and Sunnyslope neighborhoods, Glendale, and Peoria before ending at New River near Arrowhead Towne Center.

William J. Murphy was hired in 1883 to spearhead its construction, which was completed in May 1885. He then founded Glendale; its downtown Murphy Park

Canal in Scottsdale, Arizona flanked by condos

 

is named for him.[3] Nearby Peoria was also founded within the decade.

Several miles upstream (east), 640 acres (2.6 km) on the canal's south side were purchased in 1888 by a former Civil War chaplain named Major Winfield Scott, establishing what is now Scottsdale. Murphy later built the Ingleside Club hotel near Scottsdale (in what is now Arcadia), laying the foundation for the area's vital tourism economy. Several resorts - The Phoenician, Biltmore, Royal Palms, a Pointe Hilton and a Ritz-Carlton - were all built close to the canal between 1929 and 1988. Also, five shopping malls of varying size and affluence - Borgata, Scottsdale Fashion SquareBiltmore Fashion ParkMetrocenter Mall and Arrowhead Towne Center - now reside along the canal's route. Five miles were added to the canal's western end in 1894, completing its 47-mile (76 km) length.[4]

A 750-kilowatt restored hydroelectric plant and art display opened in June 2003 in Arcadia, at a natural 20-foot (6.1 m) drop called Arizona Falls.[5]

Scottsdale's Waterfront Project is aimed at revitalizing an area along the Arizona Canal just west of Scottsdale Road. The City of Scottsdale and the Scottsdale Public Art board engaged the architect Paolo Soleri who designed a bridge over the Arizona Canal in Downtown Scottsdale. The suspension bridge has two steel-clad, 64-foot pylons create a light beam on the walking surface to mark solar events. The bridge will direct pedestrians, bicyclists, and horse riders moving north and south along the Arizona Canal system."

Arizona Falls, landmark still exists along Indian School Road

 

So as you drive through our Arizona cities and towns, realize that in 1885, the canals brought life to the desert, making Arizona a great place to live.....note, Air Conditioning helped too. Learn more Arizona Homes and Land

Posted by

Jeff Masich

Broker/REALTOR®

Scottsdale including Phoenix, Tucson and Prescott metros and throughout Arizona


Buy/Sell with Arizona Homes and Land Group. Ask me, Group Leader about Metro Homes or Ranches and Large Acreage properties throughout the state.

My BlogAbout Me


Web: Arizona Homes and Land

 Jeff Masich Arizona Homes and Land Group HomeSmart

 

 

 

 

480-242-6500
CALL or TEXT

Email Me

 

HomeSmart Jeff Masich

 

Comments (2)

Bruce Walter
Keller Williams Realty Lafayette/West Lafayette, Indiana - West Lafayette, IN

Jeffrey, very interesting post as I have never associated Arizona with canals.  It does make sense as waterways led to so many settlement since the original 13 Colonies and the expansion westward.

Jan 28, 2015 12:52 AM
Michael Dagner
Brokers Guild Classic - Denver, CO
Your Denver Homes Realty Expert

Jeffrey, always wondered where all the water came from.  Who would've known it was those canals.

Jan 28, 2015 10:24 AM